Assailing the contemptuous response of the Centre and the PDP-BJP Government in the State towards most popular demand of the Jammu people with regard to establishment of All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Provincial President National Conference Devender Singh Rana on Saturday questioned that if two such institutes can be granted to Bihar in one go, why not to Jammu and Kashmir which needs more due to its topographical conditions and lack of health infrastructure.“True that BJP is hard pressed to appease the Bihar voters ahead of assembly elections, it should not undermine the need of Jammu, especially as the people of the division gave the party a massive mandate during parliamentary and assembly elections”, Rana said while interacting with the party functionaries and workers here.
He said grant of two AIIMS to J&K is not favour but a necessity due to sensitivities involved in the matter and circumstances prevailing in the State. This, he said, was well appreciated by the former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on the issue of two Central Universities, which he got by rising above party politics and taking everyone on board. Similarly, he said the National Conference has been pleading from day one that while the decision with regard to setting up of AIIMS in Kashmir is highly appreciable, the coalition government should take a call and prevail upon the Centre to fulfill the demand of the Jammu people.“The festivity being displayed by BJP over the ambiguous statement of Union Health Minister J P Nadda, as an attempt to mislead the people, is highly deplorable”, he said, adding that the Coalition Government has failed in gauging the public mood and assuaging their aspirations.
Later, the National Conference functionaries and workers staged a demonstration at Gole Market Gandhi Nagar as a mark of solidarity and in support of the demand with regard to full fledged AIIMS for Jammu. Raising slogans against the dubious BJP stand and diversionary tactics of the Centre and the Coalition Government, they torched an effigy to show anger of the people.The protest march was led by District President Urban Dharamveer Singh Jamwal, Youth National Conference President Jammu Ajaz Jan and Provincial President Women Wing Mrs Satwant Dogra.
Addressing the protesters Jamwal reiterated the party’s demand for an additional and separate Institute for Jammu while hailing the decision with regard to its establishment in the Kashmir Valley. He said diluting the demand by announcing AIIMS like facility for Jammu will not be acceptable to the people.Ajaz Jan castigated BJP for taking the people of Jammu for granted and said that the time is not far when the party will have to pay for betraying the electors who bestowed them a massive mandate in the assembly elections.Satwant Dogra also addressed the protesters and lauded the united front being put up by the people in support of the popular demand for separate AIIMS for Jammu.